New World wants to know how you shop, where you stop, and for how long. That’s why if you happen to be shopping at New World’s Island Bay supermarket in Wellington, you might notice ten trolleys with a bit of GPS kit attached to the front.

Seequent, a world leader in visual data science, today announced it has signed an agreement to acquire Geosoft, a Canadian geoscience software company headquartered in Toronto with offices around the world. The acquisition brings together Seequent’s Leapfrog 3D geological modelling software suite with Geosoft’s subsurface geoscience and exploration data-driven technology – to create an unparalleled subsurface offering for the mining, civil engineering, energy and environmental sectors.

Solving rural producers’ challenges and improving productivity through technology will be key themes at next year’s MobileTECH 2019. Now in its 7th year, MobileTECH will, once again, bring together the agritech leaders, tech developers, industry corporates and early adopters to Rotoura.

New Zealand’s biotech industry is on the cusp of a massive surge, boosting the economy and exports through the growth of new world technologies, including the use of gene technology, BiotechNZ executive director Dr Zahra Champion says.

Seequent, a developer of revolutionary visual data science software, has been recognised for its global expansion and continued innovation success as the winner of the Supreme Award for medium-large enterprise at last night’s Westpac Champion Business Awards 2018. Seequent also won the Lyttelton Port Company Champion Exporter Medium/Large Award.

A UC Smart Ideas proposal that aims to create ‘Eco-rubber seismic-isolation foundation systems’ that will improve the seismic resilience of low-rise buildings has been approved for funding of $1 million by the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment (MBIE).

Over thirty kiwi agriculture innovators have touched down in Silicon Valley ready to test their solutions among some of the most competitive global growers and farming leaders. Their powerful weapon: New Zealand’s unique recipe to feed the planet sustainably.

Australian aerial mapping company NearMap (ASX: NEA) has launched business operations in New Zealand, establishing dedicated sales, marketing and product resources saying it aims to accelerate the significant growth opportunity that exists in New Zealand.

University of Otago researchers are demonstrating the potential of a new technology which could see New Zealand production of a popular food – the French fry – become healthier, and less costly and wasteful.

HMI Technologies/Ohmio announces a US$20 Million investment agreement with the Heshan Industrial City Management Committee to establish an Ohmio manufacturing plant for Autonomous Vehicles The agreement was signed by Mohammed Hikmet, the founder and Chairman of HMI Technologies and its subsidiary, Ohmio Automotion Ltd, and the Deputy Director of the Heshan Industrial City Administration Committee, Wu Xiaoqing.

Virtual Commissioning - In 1895, pioneer of astronautic theory, Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, developed the concept of the space elevator, a transportation system that would allow vehicles to travel along a cable from the Earth’s surface directly into space.

Seequent, a world leader in visual data science, and Mott MacDonald have been shortlisted in the British Construction Industry Awards for Digital Initiative of the Year. Innovating together the companies delivered a digital, 3D geological modelling solution on the Upper Chelburn Impounding Reservoir in the UK, which is owned and operated by United Utilities.

Teachers need to be better paid as they adjust to educating kids in the fastest growing sector in New Zealand, - technology, an award-winning Maori chief executive of a fast growing ed-tech company says.

Autodesk has now begun the rollout of its own A.I. assistant called Ava and the company recently revealed how it is going about avoiding a phenomenon commonly referred to as the “uncanny valley.” Reports Daniel Golightly for Android Headlines.

A self-cleaning surface that burns up bacteria and viruses holds plenty of commercial interest. The revolutionary anti-microbial coating being developed at Canterbury University causes microbes to sizzle up on contact with surfaces like buttons, knobs, handles and rails.

Invenco was the big winner at the 2018 Hi-Tech Awards gala dinner in Christchurch tonight, claiming the PwC Hi-Tech Company of the Year category and the IBM Innovative Company Award. A record-breaking crowd of close to 800 people attended the awards dinner, held to celebrate the successes of New Zealand hi-tech companies across 13 categories and to recognise the 2018 Flying Kiwi, Claudia Batten.

TechWeek has shown off and discussed a range of technology across the country – today it's advanced manufacturing's turn. The Christchurch Headline Event, The Fourth Revolution, is showcasing the exciting work which is being done and the opportunities new technology holds for the manufacturing sector.

IDC Asia Pacific has three New Zealand projects shortlisted as finalists in the 2018 IDC Asia Pacific Smart Cities Awards. The annual awards highlight and acknowledge outstanding smart city initiatives in the Asia Pacific region and this year attracted over 180 entries.

The New Zealand Tech and Innovation Story, the UpStarters, launched this morning by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at Techweek ’18, is a key milestone in supporting our tech and innovation companies to promote themselves on the world stage.

Researchers from Victoria University of Wellington’s Ferrier Research Institute, Callaghan Innovation, the University of Canterbury, and Massey University have developed cutting-edge gene engineering technology to help scientists more efficiently manipulate DNA in order to produce new products, including a new veterinary drug.

Ahead of the premiere of a new documentary on the life and work of Sir Paul Callaghan, a few of his friends and colleagues – including Anne Salmond, Bill Manhire, Nicola Gaston and Shaun Hendy – share their memories of the great man on The Spinoff today.

Liquid Voice has announced the immediate availability of Liquid Analytics. This new contact centre tool includes the latest generation transcription engine, developed by Speechmatics in partnership with the University of Cambridge, and uses deep neural networks to achieve an average accuracy of 85% on recordings. The Liquid Analytics transcription engine has been independently benchmarked and consistently outperforms other leading systems to deliver unrivalled operational insight to increase contact centre productivity and performance.

Christchurch - New Zealand seriously needs a national AI strategy to keep pace of global change in technology, the Artificial Intelligence Forum of New Zealand (AIFNZ) research report, just released, says.

The arrival of artificial intelligence into businesses and society are not likely to produce anywhere near the number of job losses most people think, a new AI research report says. Instead, AI may help address potential labour shortages and solve looming demographic challenges.

Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have reached a tipping point of maturity, ready for widespread application across all domains of work and life, Artificial Intelligence Forum New Zealand (AIFNZ) executive director Ben Reid says.

The latest developments in the fascinating and fast-moving world of artificial intelligence will be revealed and discussed in Auckland in 2020, when the International Conference on Autonomous Agents and Multiagent Systems (AAMAS) comes to New Zealand for the first time in its nearly 20-year history.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is expected to deliver economic growth and productivity improvements but will impact some people’s jobs according to new research that is being pulled together for a leading national report to be released on May 2.

Apr 11 - Entries for the 11th annual Microsoft New Zealand Partner Awards are now open. All Microsoft’s partners are invited to enter, with revitalised categories that are designed to give Kiwi partners, big or small, more opportunities to enter.

Thinxtra’s New Zealand network is now complete with 94% of the population within coverage, including all major cities and regional cities, and as far as Hawera and Invercargill. Every population centre throughout New Zealand now has comprehensive redundant Sigfox coverage, Thinxtra is currently focusing on expanding out the Sigfox network in rural and remote areas by the end of the year, to support NZ agriculture exporting to Australia and worldwide.

Apr 04, 2018 - Regular readers of NZ Tech CEO Graeme Mueller’s weekly newsletter to members and supporters may have been surprised to see him question the Government’s Marketplace for Cloud service. In general, a vocal supporter of Government’s moves in ICT procurement, Mueller questioned why development of the Marketplace for Cloud Services, a “major tech project”, had been awarded to a company offshore.

Unlocking the value of digital manufacturing. The recent Rockwell Automation TechED event in Auckland was well attended and revealed the latest technologies for high performance manufacturing and production. With a strong focus on New Zealand’s food & beverage, water/wastewater and OEM industries, the event brought together industry professionals including end users, system integrators, distributors, partners and machine builders.

EVolocity is a programme conducted with secondary schools that sees student teams design and build an electric vehicle. They meet regionally to race their vehicles and compete for places in the national final.

Biomimicry is the strategy of modeling designs and structures in technology after nature writes Isaac Maw for engineering.com Building a two-armed assembly robot to have wrist, elbow and shoulder joints, like a human, is a good example of biomimicry.

Mar 21, 2018 - New Zealanders will hear and learn all about the country’s most amazing world-leading innovation, projects and breakthroughs during Techweek in May, NZTech chief executive Graeme Muller says.

The ethics of artificial intelligence will be critical to the success of AI going forward, a Microsoft leader and a keynote speaker at the AI Day event in Auckland next week says. Steve Guggenheimer, corporate vice president of Microsoft’s AI Business, says that given AI has the potential to reshape not just industries and governments, but society as a whole. “Working on the ethics of the use of AI, from the beginning, in key areas like transparency, accountability, privacy and bias will be crucial to the success of AI going forward. “There is a strong focus on the ethical implications…

Mar 19, 2018 - Intelligent transport systems could earn $1.5 billion a year. Intelligent transport systems could be a sunrise tech industry for New Zealand, earning up to $1.5 billion a year, a new industry report has found.

Sometimes, to move forward, you have to go back to the basics—sometimes way back. SpinLaunch, a startup spaceflight development company, raised $30 million to fund a catapult system—not a flaming ball to capture the castle catapult system, but rather technology to launch cargo into space more cost-effectively.

The announcement of the world’s first self-driving electric air taxi being piloted in Christchurch is just one of the examples of New Zealand becoming a living tech laboratory, NZTech chief executive Graeme Muller said today. The Zephyr Airworks aircraft, financed by Google co-founder Larry Page, is a great testimony to responding to a global challenge around traffic and congestion, Muller says. “New Zealand is a living laboratory and we see many other examples of Kiwi ingenuity being attractive to the global tech market, such as the Incredible Skies autonomous drone testing space in Northland where they are testing the delivery…

In Phoenix, Arizona, cars are self-navigating the streets. In many homes, people are speaking to digital assistants, with the machines responding. Smartphones and apps can now recognise faces in photos and translate from one language to another, to name a few other examples of artificial intelligence (AI). A leading New Zealand geo-AI company, Orbica, says AI is here and it’s bringing exciting new possibilities. But how quickly will they overhaul the way people live and change the way they do business? Much of the work that’s going into AI is behind-the-scenes with applications for organisations and robotics in the health…

A researcher described as a hopelessly addicted inventor who is using artificial intelligence (AI) to find native bird predators such as rats, stoats and possums, will be an interesting speaker at AI Day in Auckland on March 28.

GREENVILLE, S.C., March 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — ACL Airshop LLC of the US and CORE Transport Technologies, Inc. of New Zealand continue rolling out their innovative, field-proven Bluetooth® enabled logistics technology to the global air cargo industry.

This March and April, an international team of researchers will install monitoring equipment inside an active fault zone off the coast of New Zealand, in the Ring of Fire, in the first-ever scientific drilling mission specifically designed to study slow earthquakes.

Artificial intelligence, or AI, is the next wave of technology and New Zealand must present a fresh window to help encourage women into tech roles. Big corporations across every industry, from retail to agriculture, are trying to integrate machine learning into their products and the global thirst for AI is fuelling a heated race to climb aboard the new revolution.

The head of New Zealand’s leading artificial intelligence (AI) company Soul Machines has issued a plea to New Zealand corporate companies not to fall behind in the global development of AI, the latest tech industrial revolution.

A Callaghan Innovation fact-finding mission next week to the world’s largest life sciences campus is part of a strategy to elevate the burgeoning New Zealand medical technology sector onto the global stage. Mike Brown, co-founder of wearable bladder sensor start-up Uri-Go, will be among a group of New Zealand innovators heading to the world’s most significant medical technology complex for the first time.

Feb 23, 2018 - Leading global battery and solar energy company sonnen will move its Australian headquarters from Sydney to Adelaide where it will also establish a manufacturing hub. The announcement further cements South Australia as a world leader in renewable energy and storage. The German company, the world’s largest producer of household battery and solar energy storage solutions, will use Adelaide as its central shipping facility for Australia and the Asia and South Pacific region. It will also establish a technical training facility in the South Australian capital, which will cover Australia, New Zealand and Asia Pacific markets. Sonnen…

Feb 21, 2018 — TracPlus Global and AgriTrack announced today an agreement to deliver time-critical fire information from AgriTrack’s FireTrack into TracPlus’ global tracking and messaging service. Last year, Australia experienced their warmest winter on record, contributing further to the threat of uncontrolled Wildfires and further necessitating the urgency for more detailed and comprehensive real time data delivery.

Feb 20, 2018 - Ian Taylor, one of New Zealand’s most prominent tech experts, says New Zealand must celebrate it digital successes as one of the leading tech countries in the world. Taylor received a huge ovation at the international digital nations summit in Auckland today for his impassioned plea to all Kiwis to feel proud of the country’s digital and tech successes.

Feb 20, 2018 - The appointment of a chief technology officer for New Zealand is critical for the future of the country if we hope to be a thriving digital nation by 2030, NZTech chief executive Graeme Muller says. He was speaking at the international Digital Nations Summit in Auckland today and reiterated that technology is going to drive the New Zealand economy in the future.

Feb 19, 2018 - Spark Digital chief executive Jolie Hodson, who is speaking to the international Digital Nations summit in Auckland starting today, has painted a picture of dramatic tech changes in New Zealand over the next 12 years.

Feb 19, 2018 - As the nation considers how New Zealand will look as a digital society in 2030, Kiwis need to take a moment to look back the equivalent period of the last 13 years, a prominent tech expert says. In 2005 there was no Uber, Tesla, Airbnb, WeChat, WhatsApp, Viber, Tinder or even a first iteration of the iPhone, many transformational technologies that now enhance our lives that we take for granted, says Leigh Flounders, a New Zealand chief executive award winner last year. In 2005 for financial services, we Kiwis paid exorbitant fees for foreign exchange, were…

Feb 15, 2018 - Distinguished Professor Mike Steel has been elected as a distinguished Fellow of the International Society for Computational Biology (ISCB). Dist Prof Steel’s main research focus is phylogenetics, which uses mathematics to come up with better ways of reconstructing evolutionary relationships between species based on genetic data. His research interests are applications of discrete mathematics (combinatorics, graph theory) and probability theory to contemporary problems in biology. Dist Prof Steel’s citation is for “outstanding contributions to mathematical and computational phylogenetics, and for service to the academic evolutionary biology research community." The ISCB is a large international body that…

Feb 15, 2018 - More than 500 tech people are gathering at the international Digital Nations Summit in Auckland on Monday to share ideas and thoughts about what sort of country New Zealand will be like in 2030 and the role technology will play, NZTech chief executive Graeme Muller says. Close to 200 international tech specialists and experts from some of the world’s leading digital nations will outline what they are doing well at the summit. “Countries like Estonia, who have developed digital citizenship and world-leading citizen access to their own data, will be attending. Other countries bringing their state…

Feb 13, 2018 - New technology from a student-led research project at Victoria University of Wellington looks set to revolutionise the way geotechnical engineers monitor and predict landslides, potentially helping to save countless lives and cut costs. Engineering and Computer Science student Jonathan Olds was looking for a research project for his Master’s and his supervisor, Professor of Network Engineering in the School of Engineering and Computer Science Winston Seah, suggested developing and testing an automated solution for the long-term monitoring of landslides. The result of that research is AccuMM, which Jonathan validated with a pilot installation in Taiwan. image004.png“The…

Feb 13, 2018 - Some of the world’s leading tech experts, including tech Ministers from other countries, will attend a coding session with a bunch of young New Zealand’s school children at the Young Coders Showcase during the international Digital Nations tech summit in Auckland next week. International and New Zealand tech leaders, social innovators, future thinkers and maybe even the Prime Minister will get a coding lesson from students at sessions from New Zealand's leading initiatives to get kids involved with coding – Code Club Aotearoa, Code Avengers and OMG Tech. The February 19 and 20 summit – organised…

Feb 12, 2018 - University of Canterbury (UC) Physics Professor Simon Brown is developing a neuromorphic computer chip that may solve one of the biggest problems in the computer industry – power consumption – and create a New Zealand semiconductor industry.

Feb 12, 2018 - Will robots really steal our jobs? According to PWC, New Zealand is “among the most prepared countries for the coming waves of automation,” not through any initiatives to plan for robotisation, but simply because it has a very high percentage of the workforce in jobs that will not easily be taken over by robots, writes Stuart Cornor ComputerWorld. The findings come from a new global PWC report “Will robots really steal our jobs?” It found New Zealand had the sixth-lowest share of jobs that are at high risk of automation. “New Zealand is part of a…

Feb 2, 2018 - On the evening of Jan. 31, 1958, the United States orbited its first satellite -- Explorer 1. The effort was part of the nation's participation in the International Geophysical Year (IGY), a peaceful scientific endeavor. It also marked America's first step in the Space Race of the Cold War.

According to Statista, there were 453 million connected wearable devices worldwide in 2018, a figure that is predicted to increase to 593 million this year. While, unsurprisingly, the market is currently dominated by smart watches, you may be surprised at the benefits wearables can bring to a manufacturing facility. Here, Jonathan Wilkins, marketing director of obsolete equipment specialist, EU Automation explains how wearables could transform your factory.

Jan 30, 2018 - The latest investment offering for inspection industry disruptor Invert Robotics has closed after attracting considerable interest from a number of high net worth and institutional investors from across Australia and New Zealand. Invert Robotics provides non-destructive inspection services using state of the art mobile climbing robots. Invert Robotics’ climbing robots enable precise and accurate remote inspection of non-ferromagnetic surfaces such as stainless steel, carbon fibre, aluminium and glass. Invert Robotics’s patented robots are installed with high definition cameras and sensor technology to allow for equipment to be assessed for maintenance and for preventative analysis on a…

Jan 29, 2018 - Heading a list of innovations unveiled by 3D Systems for 2018 is the industry’s first scalable, fully integrated production platform for plastic and metal parts, providing manufacturers true factory solutions for durable, repeatable end-use parts. The company’s new Figure 4 modular, scalable platform produces small, plastic parts with up to 15x throughput improvements versus competitive offerings, and up to 20% lower part cost than current manufacturing processes. 3D Systems also unveiled a next-generation additive metal platform for high productivity factory production of metal parts, including seamless large parts and the largest diameter parts available in the…

Every year MobileTECH brings together over 300 technology leaders, developers, early adopters and major industry operators from throughout the primary sector. MobileTECH, which runs over 2 intense days, is always buzzing with activity and the event held earlier this year was no exception. MobileTECH continues to be the only cross-sector event of its type to bring together the technology leaders from right across the agricultural, horticultural and forestry sectors. This year MobileTECH 2018 will be taking place on the 27-28 March 2018 in Rotorua, New Zealand.

Jan 22, 2018 - As liberal adopters of new technology, New Zealand is a great spot to trial new products and bring emerging technologies to market, but there are opportunities to do more, write Liz Blythe of Russell McVeagh and Timothy Wixon of BNZ for CIO New Zealand.

Jan 12, 2018 - After failing to launch last month, US spaceflight startup Rocket Lab will try again at the end of January to get its experimental rocket to orbit. The company plans to launch the vehicle, called the Electron, from its New Zealand facility sometime during a nine-day window that begins on January 20th. If all goes well, it could be the last test flight before Rocket Lab begins commercial flights in the coming year.

Dec 19, 2017 - New Zealand’s education system for providing trained tech graduates is insufficient and the country is over reliant on importing advanced digital skills, a leading Kiwi tech expert says. NZTech chief executive Graeme Muller says while the geo-political situation is currently working to New Zealand’s advantage - making it attractive for digital talent to consider a role in New Zealand - it will be risky to continue to rely on immigration for the bulk of the talent pool. He was commenting today about key insights from the digital skills report released by the New Zealand Digital Skills…

Dec 13, 2017 - : Rocket Lab has completed analysis of the Electron test flight abort that occurred during the company’s ‘Still Testing’ launch attempt yesterday. The analysis determined the launch was aborted due to rising liquid oxygen (LOx) temperatures feeding into one of the Electron’s nine Rutherford engines on the vehicle’s first stage. Rocket Lab has implemented corrective actions ahead of the next launch attempt, which is currently targeted for no earlier than 2.30 pm, Thursday 14 December NZDT. The slight LOx temperature increase was a result of a LOx chilldown bleed schedule that was not compatible with the…

Dec 11, 2017 - The NEM.io Foundation, the organisation behind the NEM blockchain technology, is setting up shop in New Zealand as part of what it says is $US40 million global expansion plan, and has been in New Zealand promoting a $US90 million ($130m) global development fund that it says will help kick start local blockchain companies. The NEM.io Foundation is a Singapore based not-for-profit organisation whose purpose is “to introduce, educate, and promote the use of the NEM blockchain technology platform on an international scale to all industries and institutions.” NEM has its own cryptocurrency, XEM, that is says…

Dec 11, 2017 - In the coming days we will attempt to launch the second Rocket Lab Electron rocket, Still Testing. As the name suggests, we are still very much in a test phase, but this flight is a significant milestone for our team and the next step in our mission to democratize space. The potential of space to help us better understand our planet and improve life on it yet to be realised. The benefits of more satellites in low Earth orbit are almost endless, including crucial applications such as improved weather monitoring and natural disaster prediction, to internet…

Dec 8, 2017 - Rocket Lab plans to roll out the company’s second light-class Electron rocket to its launch pad in New Zealand on Thursday for final countdown preparations, but officials have delayed liftoff to no earlier than Friday night, U.S. time. The Electron booster, standing roughly 55 feet (17 meters) tall, could blast off from Rocket Lab’s commercial launch pad as soon as 0130 GMT Saturday (8:30 p.m. EST Friday) at the opening of a four-hour launch window. The launch opportunity opens at 2:30 p.m. Saturday in New Zealand. Rocket Lab says it has a wider window to launch…

Dec 7, 2017 - The government is right to raise this concern that there is a growing digital divide, NZTech chief executive Graeme Muller says in response to a digital report released yesterday. Muller says the opportunities emerging from the rapid exponential growth of technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics, autonomous vehicles and augmented reality are fantastic for all Kiwis. Communications Minister Clare Curran yesterday released a report - Digital New Zealanders: The Pulse of our Nation - outlining the digital divide in New Zealand. She says the government will, with the assistance of a soon to be established advisory group,…

Nov 28, 2017 - If your organisation is struggling to clear backlogs of integration projects, increase time to value and overcome resource and skills constraints, you’re not alone Eric Thoo, research director at Gartner (Computerworld) writes. The need to connect applications, systems, endpoints and users in complex, multi-organisation ecosystems is growing. This is forcing integration to become pervasive, which is a critical but complex competency that’s now foundational to enabling digital business transformation. Application leaders responsible for integration are having to empower almost every member of their organisation to make this new reality happen. If your organisation is struggling to…

Nov 28, 2017 -Christchurch apps design company LWA Solutions is launching a world-first virtual reality pilot training app with the Ports of Auckland early next year. Maritime pilots people guide ships safely into harbours all around the world. As part of their job, they have to get on and off moving cargo ships by means of a rope ladder – a demanding and risky job. The LWA app uses virtual reality to safely simulate the experience maritime pilots go through when getting on and off ships. LWA chief executive Atta Elayyan showcased the virtual reality training solution at the recent…

Nov 22, 2017 - Kiwi tech companies urged to ‘eat more of their own dog food’ when it comes to selling – Kiwi technology needs to sell itself smarter to realise its full potential to become the country’s largest export industry, according to the latest Market Measures report. “We don’t face the same environmental constraints of the other two major export sectors –agriculture and tourism – so the potential for tech is virtually limitless,” says Owen Scott, Managing Director of Concentrate Limited, who organise the study along with fellow tech marketing company Swaytech. “Improving our ability to sell efficiently is…

Nov 22, 2017 - Auckland University’s Michelle Dickinson and Soul Machines business chief Greg Cross are among top key speakers at the biggest artificial intelligence (AI) event ever to be held in New Zealand next year. New Zealand’s trail-blazing AI event will be held in Auckland on March 28 and will showcase the amazing strides AI has made and is making across the country, New Zealand AI Forum executive director Ben Reid says. “AI is pervading across many walks of Kiwi life and this conference is the place to hear all about the latest in AI. Some New Zealand companies…

Nov 21, 2017 - Second Electron rocket was delivered from Rocket Lab’s factory in Auckland to Launch Complex 1 on Mahia Peninsula placed 200 km to south east. After failed first launch attempt on May 25, 2017, Rocket Lab announced that second test flight is planned before end of 2017. For all spaceflights fans in New Zealand we have good news: second Electron rocket arrived to Launch Complex 1 on November 16, 2017. Second launch attempt named "Still Testing" is planned for December and seems to be different flight comparing to first one, "It's a Test". This time rocket will…

Nov 21, 2017 - Soul Machines says the humanised AVA will enable customers to get answers to questions direct them to content and enable them to complete transactions. Soul Machines, a spinout from the University of Auckland Bioengineering Institute, is developing digital human interface to Autodesk’s customer assistance chatbot, the Autodesk Virtual Agent, AVA. Soul Machines says the humanised AVA will enable customers to get answers to questions direct them to content and enable them to complete transactions. “Soul Machines is advancing AVA’s capabilities, with a digital human face and persona that it literally brings AVA to life using [our]…

Nov 21 2017 - Liberio Riosa is not one to get ahead of himself and he has grown his export business, LZ New Zealand, step-by-step over the past ten years. But he is hugely energised by a new patent the company is about to lodge which, he says, will redefine the maglev industry. Continue to read the full article published in NZBusiness Magazine here || November 21, 2017 |||

Nov 20 2017 - The biggest and most important international tech conference to be staged in New Zealand will be held in Auckland early next year which may pave the way for faster advances for the Kiwi economy. NZTech chief executive Graeme Muller says changes and tech developments are happening globally at a phenomenal and unprecedented rate. “This year alone we have seen the launch of a self-driving vehicle firm in New Zealand, face-detecting systems to authorise payments, the creation of new solar devices that could create cheap and continuous power and the relentless push to add connectivity to home…

15 Nov 2017 - Applications close Friday 24 November for the Rocket Lab Scholarship that was established in 2017 to enable students from the Mahia Peninsula and wider Wairoa District in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand, to pursue tertiary study in science, technology or engineering disciplines. The Rocket Lab Scholarship directly supports the community surrounding Rocket Lab’s Launch Complex 1 and is designed to foster continued excellence and innovation amongst New Zealand’s next generation of science, technology and engineering leaders. To apply or view the regulations and selection process please click here to download the application form. Complete the form and…

10 Nov 2017 - Blockchain is an emergent technology that may be as transformative as the internet, according to many predictions. But this innovative new technology has a surprising link to the days of medieval treasuries. Blockchain is a distributed ledger that uses cryptography—mathematical code—to chain together records of transactions in a tamper-resistant and transparent manner. It is being used as an alternative or replacement for national currencies, contracts, internet device authentication and more. This form of record-keeping, though technologically novel in the digital era, is not so new after all. Historian M.T. Clanchy tells us that it existed in…

8 Nov 2017 - Automation, artificial intelligence (AI) and digital transformation issues facing the country could become threats, leading to increased social and economic difficulties and a strain on government resources unless they are immediately addressed, New Zealand’s tech leader say. The TechLeaders executive has only recently just been formed because New Zealand is facing unprecedented growth and change in tech, which is now the nation’s fastest growing sector. TechLeaders from some of New Zealand’s biggest companies and organisations has been set up with the support of NZTech and is a group of New Zealand tech, digital and ICT focused-executives…

7 Nov - Dr Lynn Wilcox is the chief technology officer at Fuji Xerox’s Palo Alto Laboratory (FXPAL) in California and an expert in the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI). Recently, Wilcox and her team at FXPAL have been working on projects in the ambient intelligence space – that is, the real world, practical application of IoT and AI. From a smart teleconferencing system that will notify individuals interrupting the meeting to tracking the location of patients in a hospital, as Ambient Intelligence develops - the impact it could have across all industries is exciting. But what…

7 Nov - Oracle is diving headlong into its quest to get more traction in the Australian and New Zealand small to mid-market with the launch of its digital hub in Sydney. The new hub, the first to be opened in Australia, is one of five digital hubs the software vendor is establishing up in the broader Asia Pacific region. It is part of a global network of best practice centres for small and medium-sized business (SMB) and is set to serve smaller clients on both sides of the Tasman. The tech giant first announced in November last year its…

7 Nov - With the risk to foreign student export market from potential changes to immigration policy, the government should increase its focus on the little cousin of education exports, edtech, NZTech chief executive Graeme Muller says. The education export industry is a $3billion market of which the majority is made up of bringing in foreign students. Today is the launch in Auckland of EdTechNZ, which is focused on growing and nurturing education tech in New Zealand, and is part of the New Zealand Tech Alliance. “While edtech is probably less than a $100 million export market at the moment…

2 Nov[] The increasing interconnection of devices and vast flows of data between machines are transforming factory floors around the world. From robots that work alongside humans to tracking components throughout the logistics system, the internet of things (IoT) is reshaping the way products are designed and made — and changing the role of humans in manufacturing. CobotsUnlike traditional industrial robots hidden behind cages, like those that weld car bodies, collaborative robots — or cobots — work alongside humans and have been spreading across production lines. They are typically smaller, flexible and mobile, as well as being cheaper than their…

1 Nov - Gartner analysts share insights on how organisations can scale in the digital era, but warn not everyone can make it through this change. Digital is already reshaping industries, says Val Sribar, senior vice president at Gartner. But there is a certain point where affected industries drastically need to take action. Once digital revenues for a sector hits 20 per cent of total revenue, the shakeout begins, he says. This happened to the retail sector in 2005, when traditional stores were in denial about online shopping. They thought everybody wanted to buy clothes in the stores, but customers…

30 Oct: The world’s largest tech firm Apple has confirmed New Zealand is on the right track to become a great global tech story, just like tourism, NZTech chief executive Graeme Muller says. New Zealand is once again proving it excels in what Sir Paul Callaghan once said our strength lies in the weird stuff, Muller says. When the world’s largest tech firm purchases our technology, in this case Power by Proxi, we know we are on the right track, doing some great things. “The purchase of Power by Proxi by Apple is another sign of the growing strength of…

With what3words, Chris Sheldrick and his team have divided the entire planet into three-meter squares and assigned each a unique, three-word identifier, like famous.splice.writers or blocks.evenly.breed, giving a precise address to the billions of people worldwide who don't have one. In this quick talk about a big idea, Sheldrick explains the economic and political implications of giving everyone an accurate address -- from building infrastructure to sending aid to disaster zones to delivering hot pizza. You can view the address by Chris here | A TED release || October 19, 2017 |||

Rocket Lab has won the supreme accolade at the New Zealand Innovation Awards in Auckland tonight. Rocket Lab, named the Bayer Supreme New Zealand Innovation for 2017, has pioneered a Kiwi space programme, with purpose-built rockets for regular commercial satellite launches. Rocket Lab chief executive Peter Beck was named most inspiring individual at the NZ Innovation Awards in 2014. To return three years on and receive the biggest honour of the evening is testament to the continued growth and success of Rocket Lab, says New Zealand Innovation Council interim chief executive Craig Cotton. “Rocket Lab plans regular small satellite launches…

New Zealand's top 200 technology companies now have combined revenues of more than $10 billion - and export receipts of $7.3 billion making the sector our third biggest earner of overseas income writes Tim Murphy for Newsroom. A report prepared by the Technology Investment Network (TIN) released Tuesday night found the technology, high-tech manufacturing and biotechnology sectors now contribute about 10 percent of all New Zealand exports. The 8.5 percent increase in export revenues in the year came despite currency challenges resulting from a higher Kiwi dollar against all major trading nations. The top two businesses, Datacom Group and Fisher…

New Zealanders are buying into the benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) as it is creeps into many walks of everyday life, an AI specialist says. New Zealand needs to actively embrace artificial intelligence at a faster rate as an extraordinary opportunity and challenge for New Zealand’s future, Artificial Intelligence Forum of New Zealand (AIFNZ) executive director Ben Reid says. AI has a growing impact on the daily lives of all New Zealanders. Its potential impacts are profound. In the near future, it is likely to accelerate – at an unprecedented pace – resulting in major changes to our economy, society,…

A leading tech businessman, who has possibly done more to improve trade ties with Vietnam than any other New Zealander, has last night recognised for his leadership at the Auckland University of Technology Business School NZ Business Support Excellence awards. Augen director, NZTech and FinTechNZ chair Mitchell Pham was one of the finalists at the gala event in Auckland. Pham has impeccable links with South East Asia and was pivotal in setting up the Kiwi Tech Connection Hub in Ho Chi Minh city to help Kiwi tech businesses accelerate presence and engagement in the ASEAN region. “New Zealand lacks capability…

On Thursday 5 October at 12.30pm, ambassadors and high commissioners from nine of the countries involved in Antarctica will visit the Antarctic Ecobots programme at Ara. Their visit is being hosted by Antarctica NZ. Antarctic Ecobots is a free interactive workshop for year 9 and 10 students on 4 and 5 October. The focus in this workshop is to build a robot that can tackle dangerous environmental tasks using maths, physics and computer skills, utilising VEX IQ Robots and MBots that then compete to win the ‘Antarctic Mission’. After learning about Antarctic science, including microbiology, glaciation, the effects of global…

When it comes to solar panels, the future is flexible. Vanessa Young discovers how a MacDiarmid project is unlocking the possibilities of a new generation of solar cell technology. When we imagine solar panels, we think of hard rectangle frames, sitting upright on roofs, or spread out across expanses of deserts. But imagine flexible, bendy solar panels, supple enough to skin a curved roof, pliable enough to be rolled up and transported easily. Lightweight enough to be a thin film for the roof of a tent. And portable enough to be rolled out to generate power for emergency relief operations,…

Results show that while 30% of 3PLs and 16% of shippers see blockchain as a potential application, they have yet to engage with the technology says MH&L. The 2018 22nd Annual Third-Party Logistics (3PL) Study, released on Sept. 26, shows the continuation of two trends: the importance of the relationship between shippers and 3PLs, and the importance of adapting to emerging technologies, including blockchain and automation. The result of these closely-forged relationships is improved services to the end customer. The study sponsored by Penske Logistics, Infosys, Penn State University and Korn/Ferry, examines the global outsourced marketplace and leading trends for…

A new national group of New Zealand’s leading tech experts was formed in Auckland today, because the country is facing unprecedented growth and change in tech – which is now the nation’s fastest growing sector. Tech Leaders has been set up with the support of NZTech and is a group of passionate New Zealand tech, digital and ICT focused-executives from leading organisations that will work together, with the support of NZTech, to use their experience to help address tech related issues of national importance. NZTech chief executive Graeme Muller says New Zealanders are seeing dramatic tech changes the likes of…

Rocket Lab today announced it will fly payloads for Planet and Spire aboard its upcoming second test flight, ‘Still Testing’, from Launch Complex 1 on the Māhia Peninsula, New Zealand. Rocket Lab’s Electron orbital launch vehicle will carry two Earth-imaging Dove satellites for Planet and two Lemur-2 satellites from Spire for weather mapping and ship traffic tracking. The flight is the second of three in Rocket Lab’s Electron test program and follows the successful inaugural Electron test flight carried out on May 25, 2017. Peter Beck, Founder and CEO of Rocket Lab, says carrying a test payload marks a significant…

The Spectrim platform, a state-of-the-art technology developed by Compac sorts and grades fresh produce by analysing up to 500 images of each individual fruit. This reduces fruit contamination and ensures that the very best produce reaches consumers. Compac and Spectrim make up 90 percent of New Zealand’s fruit grading technology, over 60 percent of North America’s and it’s continuing to expand in other areas including Europe and China. Have a listen, check out the visuals and read what Compacs CEO has to say about this technology here . . .

New Zealand is rapidly becoming a significant digital nation where technology is positively impacting on almost all traditional sectors such as banking, agriculture and tourism, the NZTech annual report says. Technology's momentum is now pulling along organisations from right across the New Zealand economy and tech has become the country’s fastest growing industry. NZTech chief executive Graeme Muller says their membership is rapidly growing to include not only tech firms but also banks, government agencies, universities and large traditional non-tech corporates. “NZTech has developed a national alliance, like a Star Alliance for tech, which now consists of 12 associations that,…

Using connected technologies to gain business value The recent Rockwell Automation TechED event in Melbourne attracted record numbers and revealed the latest techniques and technologies to help maximise manufacturing and production operations. With a focus on advancing industrial automation and solving business challenges, the event brought together the best in the industry including end users, system integrators, distributors, partners and machine builders. “TechED has established a reputation as the industry’s only multi-day, hands-on event focusing on the latest technologies to help maximise assets and information across operations. The number of people attending TechED is growing year upon year because it…

With technology being predicted to become New Zealand's number one exporting sector, the time has come to set out the vision. CEO of the Centre for Advanced Engineering and author of the recently released book Innovate! Richard Bentley shares his thoughts on how we can speed up the process with Idealog. Professor Shaun Hendy (9 August) commented on the slow progress New Zealand has made toward the development of a technology-based exporting sector. As he reflected, the occasional successful start-up is not nearly enough. In my recent book Innovate! , I present a detailed analysis of the state of our…

Development of technology to help build the world’s first hybrid-electric passenger jet plane is among Victoria University of Wellington projects to receive nearly $29 million in the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment's 2017 Endeavour Fund. Five Victoria projects have been successful in this year’s science investment round, announced this morning by Science and Innovation Minister Hon Paul Goldsmith. Dr Rod Badcock from Victoria’s Robinson Research Institute is leading the jet plane project, which was awarded $6.3 million over five years. The Institute is an international leader in the field of superconductivity—a key mechanism needed to develop cleaner aviation technologies,…

Waste Management NZ is currently trialling their first electric truck for wheelie bin waste collections, which will start work on New Zealand streets from October this year. Christchurch will be the first city in the Southern Hemisphere to put a 100% electric residential waste collection truck into service. More electric trucks will arrive into Waste Management’s fleet in other cities around New Zealand towards the end of 2017. Waste Management announced its move towards a fleet of electric vehicles in September last year as part of its Sustainability Commitment. Waste Management NZ’s first electric truck. The company has introduced more…

Ingram Micro has announced a partnership with Vertiv, formerly Emerson Network Power, to deliver data centre solutions to businesses in New Zealand writes James Henderson New Zealand Reseller News The deal comes amid an Auckland office expansion for the distributor, after signing the lease to take over the Umbrellar building that shares the company’s head office site on the North Shore. From a vendor perspective, Vertiv will provide the complete range of products and services within a critical IT infrastructure framework, targeting industries such as telecommunications and internet services, banking and finance, transportation, power, logistics, and retail. As a result,…

Growing evidence shows that the downside of super-fast connectivity and ultra-fast broadband is producing an equivalent lift in cyber-attacks, NZTech chief executive Graeme Muller says. Muller, just back from the multinational Global Tech Leaders Dialogue in Melbourne yesterday, says many nations involved in the forum confirmed increasing cyber-attacks along with faster connections. “This week alone we have seen sophisticated scams using fake government websites and email addresses,” Muller says. “The national cyber emergency response team CERT NZ have identified and exposed scams such as the fake IRD tax rebate email scam and the fake Ministry of Primary Industries exporters advisory…

Kiwis need to keep talking about cyber security as criminals are using technologies to find new ways to undertake crime, NZTech chief executive Graeme Muller says. Criminals are using advanced technology but so are the good guys, he says. Biometrics, the use of thumbprints or retinal scans, are increasing. Muller made the comments following the release of the latest report by CERT NZ, the new government cyber security emergency response team. In its first three months of operation CERT NZ received 364 reports of cyber security incidents costing companies more than $730, 000. “It is fantastic to see that organisations…

New Zealand is not alone in attracting and retaining women in tech, a leading tech specialist says. Andrea Hancox, NZTech’s national director of government relations, says the whole world faces the issue of attracting and retaining women in tech and introducing tech to young women as a choice of career. The Ministry of Women has released a guide Decoding Diversity targeted at attracting and retaining girls and women in tech education. The guide is for secondary school teachers, university lecturers, code club volunteers and other community group leaders, potential employers, career advisors, industry professionals, recruitment personnel, students and parents. Hancox…

Emma Tucker writes in deZeen that bicycle company Brompton has borrowed Formula One racing technology to create an electric version of its bestselling folding bike. Aimed at easing city dwellers' commutes, the Brompton Electric relies on a battery that clips onto the front of the bike and stores away into a separate bag for easy carrying. Brompton partnered with Williams Advanced Engineering – part of the Williams Group, which also owns the Williams Martini Racing Formula One team – to develop the bike's bespoke motor. It is calling Brompton Electric the most technically advanced model it has ever produced. "We've…

Living up to New Zealand’s reputation as a standout digital nation, the tech sector and the government will stage a major international tech summit in Auckland next year, NZTech chief executive Graeme Muller says. The Digital Nations conference on February 18 and 19 2018 will be a forerunner to the Digital 5 summit to be held later that week in Wellington. The D5 is a network of the world’s most advanced digital nations, with a shared goal of strengthening the digital economy. It was founded in London in 2014 by the United Kingdom, Estonia, Israel, New Zealand and South Korea.…

New Zealand start-up manufacturer REYEDR (pronounced rider) has announced the latest in augmented reality (AR) smart tech for the safety-conscious motorcycle enthusiast. The REYEDR HUD is a heads-up display that retrofits to a motorcyclist’s helmet and shows speed, navigation, distance and more. It runs on the REYEDR smartphone App to provide the rider with key information about the bike, route and ride group. It also has the ability to alert emergency services in the event of an accident. Using a retrofit approach, the HUD fits on the chinbar of any full-face motorcycle helmet and converts it into a smart device.…

Following a two-year hiatus, the Google Glass augmented-reality headset has made a comeback, and is being targeted exclusively at businesses. Google suspended sales of Glass at the start of 2015 in order to rethink its development. But yesterday, the team behind the wearable made an announcement on Medium that after a two-year testing period, the headset – now named Glass Enterprise Edition – is being made available to all businesses. This could see Glass become a competitor to other augmented-reality headsets already on the market, such as Microsoft's HoloLens, which is already favoured by the architecture and design industries. "Glass,…

The substantial growth of the country’s umbrella tech organisation NZTech is indicative of the rapid expansion of the nation’s fastest growing industry, says its chief executive Graeme Muller. NZTech has its eighth annual meeting in Auckland today and NZTech now represents more than 400 organisations across the New Zealand technology landscape who collectively employ 100,000 people. “Our members are startups, local tech firms, multinationals, education providers, financial institutions, major corporations, network providers and high-tech manufacturers. Our goal is to stimulate an environment where technology provides important social and economic benefits for New Zealand,” Muller says. “There is significant growing awareness…

Scientists are working hard to determine the how, why and when of earthquakes, but getting answers is a complex team effort, says a Victoria University of Wellington geophysicist. image004.jpgIt’s 30 years since John Townend recalls first experiencing a big earthquake—the magnitude 6.5 Edgecumbe earthquake, which struck in March 1987 less than 100 kilometres from his high school in Rotorua. The Professor of Geophysics and Head of Victoria’s School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences has been studying the physics of earthquakes ever since. The last few years have seen Professor Townend called on many times for his expertise, most recently…

Peter Beck, Rocket Lab founder, argues that the UK Government should abandon plans for launching rockets in Scotland. Anna Isaac from The Telegraph met with Peter and asked him a few questions: What’s your business background? I’m an engineer. Before I started Rocket Lab, I worked in a New Zealand Government lab, developing advanced materials, structures and superconductors. But even since I was a kid, I’ve built rockets. My very first one used hydrogen peroxide, which was very dodgy – very dodgy indeed. How did you start the company? I started the business about 10 years ago, because I wasn’t…

With Challenger and Defender intently going over their America's Cup campaigns and trying to evaluate the other's performances, there is a fair chance that they'll be looking at the latest content from a new 3D Video application which takes them aboard their rival's AC50 - sitting in the 'shotgun seat' wrote richard Gladwell earlier this week in sailingworld.com. Earlier in the 35th America's Cup Regatta, Race Director Iain Murray confirmed that the teams would have full access to a suite of performance data from their competitors. That is expected to include content that Oracle Team USA and Emirates Team New…

Apple's iOS 11 update began trials this week, giving testers a look at a new feature designed to combat distracted drivers says a report by Newshub. The 'Do Not Disturb While Driving' feature will mute iPhones and stop notifications from lighting up the screen whenever the user is driving. It will automatically activate whenever the phone connects to a car's Bluetooth, or if it detects the motion of a moving vehicle. The feature, which can be disabled, can be personalised to automatically reply to text messages and notify people when users are on the road. Navigation or music playback won't…

New Zealanders will get access to more ‘open data’, with $7.2 million earmarked for the next three years to speed its release, Statistics Minister Scott Simpson announced today. “Open data helps businesses, councils, community and charitable groups as well as other data users make faster, better-informed decisions and help solve complex problems. High quality data makes it easier for businesses to innovate and grow,” Mr Simpson says. “Open data is good for an open democracy. More open data will also help everyone see how their tax dollars are being spent and how effective that spending is. “The Government is committed…

Metal from the trash heap may one day wind up inside your smartphone instead of the other way around (Credit: rihardzz/Depositphotos) Stainless steel mesh is often used as filters and screens in facilities such as wastewater treatment plants or in ventilation shafts. But once the material gets coated in rust and weakened, it's usually just discarded. Now Chinese scientists have figured out a way to take that metal trash and turn into high-performing treasure as electrodes in potassium-ion batteries. While lithium-ion batteries are widely used today, they're not without their issues. For starters, they degrade over time, especially if they're…

A fledgling, cutting-edge cyber security Wellington company has launched a virtual chief information security officer (vCISO) service aimed at helping New Zealand businesses to respond as cyber-crime begins to bite. Cyber Toa chief executive and NZTech board member Mandy Simpson says cyber-attacks are a serious risk for all Kiwi businesses. “To be honest, all indications are that cyber-crime is growing in New Zealand. Requests for assistance to the National Cyber Security Centre were up 66 percent in the year to April 2016 and global security provider Symantec put the cost of cyber-crime in New Zealand at $US200 million last year,”…

Science and Innovation Minister Paul Goldsmith today announced an investment of $31.7 million to upgrade New Zealand’s supercomputing capabilities. “The existing supercomputers are at the end of their operating lives and energy intensive by today’s standards. The new supercomputers will deliver up to 10 times the computing capability and more than four times the storage capacity of their predecessors,” says Mr Goldsmith. The computing research service is designed and provided by the New Zealand eScience Infrastructure (NeSI), a collaboration between NIWA, Landcare and the Universities of Auckland and Otago. “Computational needs of the science community are growing exponentially and from…

Top Kiwi furniture company, the PLN Group, is setting the global industry alight with its world leading nano technology developments. The PLN Group, based in Auckland, is a finalist in the Air New Zealand Cargo ExportNZ Awards, with winners to be announced on June 29. The company is earning up to 40 percent of its revenue off shore from clients such as Citibank, HSBC, Google, Hewlett Packard, Disney and Apple, chief executive Blair McKolskey says. “Our cutting-edge innovations such as the acoustic nano technology is world leading and we are seeking to gain entry into Europe and North America this…

Around 540 million years ago there was a rapid burst of evolution known as the Cambrian Explosion. One hypothesis for this is that the evolution of vision started an arms race. Complex vision improved the ability of animals to navigate and identify objects; it is now regarded as the most important sense. In industry, machine vision is being incorporated to develop industrial processes further, identify areas of improvement and enable intelligent locomotion within robotics. Here, Jonathan Wilkins, marketing director at obsolete industrial parts supplier EU Automation, discusses the role of machine vision in the factory of the future. Machine vision…

The launch next week of the New Zealand Artificial Intelligence (AI) Forum is a strong sign Kiwi tech companies are keen to not just get onboard the burgeoning AI industry, they want to lead from the front, Forum chair Stu Christie says. Dozens of New Zealand’s leading tech companies are joining the forum which has been initiated by NZTech. The launch in Wellington on June 7 will be attended by politicians, government agencies, big tech companies and major national tech groups. Christie says the landmark tech manifesto presented to parliamentarian last week confirms just how intent NZTech, InternetNZ, IT Professionals…

Artificial Intelligence or AI is fast being used to make people more efficient and it will touch every element of New Zealanders’ lives from better healthcare and education to faster service and more personalised products, tech leader Stu Christie says. Like any emerging technology there is still a lot that Kiwis don't know about AI - both the opportunities and the risks, Christie says. Having a nationally coordinated forum to share learnings and have discussions is critical to ensuring New Zealand gets the best outcome. The first ever New Zealand AI Forum will be launched in Wellington June 7. Christie…

New Zealand’s leading tech organisations today released their manifesto of New Zealand’s Digital Future. The digital copy of the report has been sent to every member of parliament and to key government officials throughout multiple agencies as technology is far reaching – from health and education to regions, small to medium businesses and social and primary industries. The collaborative report by 20 major Kiwi tech organisations was led by NZTech, IT Professionals (ITP) and InternetNZ. Among a dozen manifesto goals is a call for New Zealand to establish a dedicated Ministry for the Future, focusing on positioning New Zealand and…

Just outside of Hamburg, a monumental experiment is finally coming to life. Named the European X-ray Free Electron Laser (XFEL), the 1.5-mile-long experiment has produced its first laser pulses, signaling that the project is nearly ready for its experimental debut. According to reports by the Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), which operates the laser, the XFEL has produced its first pulses of 0.8nm laser light at a single pulse per second. With this demonstration, the researchers believe that in the coming months they’ll be able to ramp up the lasers pulse frequency to its final state of 27,000 pulses per second. "The…

Rocket Lab today announces a new customer contract with Spaceflight, the launch services and mission management provider. Spaceflight has purchased an Electron rocket to increase the frequency of its dedicated rideshare missions. Dedicated rideshare for smallsats is a launch where several payloads share the same vehicle to a specific destination. An an entirely carbon-composite vehicle, designed to carry payloads of 225kg to an elliptical orbit and up to 150kg to a nominal 500km sun synchronous low earth orbit, the Electron is ideal for dedicated rideshare missions. It is especially suited to those serving difficult-to-come-by launch destinations, such as mid-inclination orbits…

A collaboration by scientists who drilled nearly 900 metres into the South Island’s Alpine Fault has revealed surprisingly high temperatures and the potential for large geothermal resources in the area. The site was drilled by a team of more than 100 scientists from 12 countries, who were working to understand how earthquakes occur on geological faults. The team identified the Whataroa site as the best place in the world to understand what a fault looks, feels, and sounds like just before an earthquake occurs. The Alpine Fault is known to rupture in magnitude 8 earthquakes approximately every 300 years, plus…

Chemistry has allowed humans to create a myriad of new inventions and improve on innumerable existing ones. Through research, we've created synthetic materials that are stronger than the metals we've used for centuries. One synthetic fiber invented in the last several decades is being implemented into many protective gear and vehicles because of its sheer strength and durability. Militaries, law enforcement and civilian industries are using the synthetic fiber called Dyneema to protect lives and equipment. Dyneema is a high-strength synthetic fiber that is capable of protecting an individual or vehicle from threats like an improvised explosive device (IED) or…

Here we go! We are about to open a 10 day launch attempt window from May 22, 2017, for the first launch attempt of our Electron rocket. The launch, titled ‘It’s a Test’, will take place from our private orbital launch site, Launch Complex 1, on the Māhia Peninsula, New Zealand. This is a significant milestone for Rocket Lab and the space industry globally. We are about to enter the next phase of the Electron program, which will see the culmination of years of work from our dedicated team here at Rocket Lab. 'It's a Test' is all about gathering…

It was the era of black and white television, The Beatles, and the space race between the US and Russia to the moon. It was the 1960s and on the other side of the world, in his garage in little New Zealand, a man was making crystals to generate radio frequency. That man was Warren Robinson, founder of Rakon. Back then, Warren saw a large gap in the market for crystals and so he decided to make his own. The company became incorporated on 4 April 1967. Fast track fifty years where connected technology is in use more than ever,…

Huawei, the Chinese technology giant, has announced a new investment plan to extend its cloud computing infrastructure, research and development (R&D) partnership and local procurement in New Zealand. Huawei will work with local partners to build a New Zealand Cloud Data Centre, and will open an innovation lab this year, the company said without disclosing the value of the deal. The lab, located at Victoria University of Wellington, will concentrate on the deployment of big data and Internet of Things (IoT) themed future technology including 5G. Huawei will build another innovation lab in Christchurch to seek local R&D partnership there,…

Today, we announced that Rocket Lab has closed a $75m Series D financing round, led by Data Collective, with additional investors Promus Ventures and an undisclosed investor. We’ve partnered with this esteemed group of investors because of their experience in the space industry. We also had renewed participation in this round from our existing investors - Khosla Ventures, Bessemer Venture Partners and K1W1 - who have provided continued expertise and support as we work to make space accessible to everyone. The closure of the round brings the total funding Rocket Lab has received to date to $148 million, with the…

Auckland – The Internet of Things (IoT) will soon become critical to helping New Zealand raise its productivity and prosperity, NZTech chief executive Graeme Muller says. Much of the current hype around IoT has been derived from consumer IoT such as fitness trackers and intelligent fridges. The real value to be had from the Internet of Things is in enterprise and government applications. A collaborative national research project is underway to better understand the potential benefits (and risks) of IoT for the New Zealand economy. The project, being managed by NZTech, brings together major tech users, tech firms, the government,…

Wouldn’t it be cool to have something as hard as steel and still malleable? Researchers from Hokkaido University in Japan have gotten a one up on this thought, they’ve built a new hydrogel material that has been reinforced with fibres and according to them it is five times harder to break than carbon steel. Along with this use the material is also very easy to bend and stretch.The researchers made a material that’s super tough and flexible at the same time The researchers developed the fabric which is called fibre-reinforced soft composite (or FRSC). They did this by combining hydrogels-…

After three years of developing a brand new rocket, aerospace startup Rocket Lab has finally transported a finished vehicle to the New Zealand launch pad where it will take its first flight. The rocket, called the Electron, has been tested on the ground over the last year but has never been flown to space before. Over the next couple of months, Rocket Lab will conduct a series of test launches of the vehicle to verify that it’s ready to carry payloads into orbit for commercial customers. Compared to other major commercial rockets like the Falcon 9 or the Atlas V,…

Kodak is bringing back traditional film due to overwhelming consumer demand. The photography company said that it plans to start selling its Ektachrome film before the end of the year, with others to follow. Ektachrome was phased out in 2012 but among professional filmmakers there has been a 'resurgence' in sales, Kodak said. More stories > > > http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-4163944/Kodak-says-s-bringing-Ektachrome-film.html http://www.telegiz.com/articles/14491/20170130/kodak-ektachrome-film-35mm-format.htm http://www.nzherald.co.nz/technology/news/article.cfm?c_id=5&objectid=11790937

Auckland – Technology is at the heart of improving productivity of government services and the second annual NZTech Advance Government and Technology Summit in Wellington on February 28 will play a landmark role in helping New Zealand become a stronger digital nation, NZTech chief executive Graeme Muller says. The summit is a high-level event that will host the key players from government, industry and technology to lead discussions on transformative technology aiding the delivery of better public services. The event will offer insights from people working behind the scenes about the government’s ICT strategy framework and the complex issues behind…

Smart sensors offer advanced functions that make setup, maintenance, and troubleshooting machinery and equipment much more efficient writes Kevin Zomchek of Rockwell Automation for Machine Design Sensors are essential in capturing basic diagnostics from industrial machines and equipment. As the people maintaining the machines are nearing retirement, a new, younger workforce is emerging that is comfortable with technology and the data that comes with it. As a result, manufacturers need to find ways to transfer that domain knowledge from the retiring generation into today’s smart machines to aid the upcoming generation of maintenance engineers. It will be key to manufacturer…

Laser system maker Trumpf has developed a femtosecond laser to weld glass light guides used in its own laser machines. Trumpf is currently building the laser welding system to mass produce glass protective caps for the laser light cables in its production plant in Schramberg, Germany. The caps would traditionally be glued to the cables. Using a femtosecond laser to weld the components reduces costs and increases the durability of the seam. Elke Kaiser, applications engineer at Trumpf, commented: ‘The laser system also serves as a pilot system to demonstrate to potential users that new, innovative laser methods are reliable…

In Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand, developers of industrial automation and machine-to-machine systems are increasingly working together as the industry starts to grow, a new report from Frost & Sullivan has found. The analysts says that this collaboration will be crucial to the manufacturing value chain as the Industial Internet of Things (IIoT) inches towards efficient adoption. Currently Singapore and Australia lead IIoT adoption, while other countries are only starting to deploy machine-to-machine (M2M) technologies. Research from the analyst firm shows that the automotive vertical has the highest M2M software and services market revenues, coming in at 35%. Direct…

Porous, 3-D forms of graphene developed at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) can be 10 times as strong as steel but much lighter. A team of researchers at MIT has designed one of the strongest lightweight materials known, by compressing and fusing flakes of graphene, a two-dimensional form of carbon. The new material, a sponge-like configuration with a density of just 5 percent, can have a strength 10 times that of steel. In its two-dimensional form, graphene is thought to be the strongest of all known materials. But researchers until now have had a hard time translating that two-dimensional strength…

The company, known formally as Shenzhen Huiding Technology Co., is among a crop of Chinese companies embracing technology and higher-margin products. Goodix, a supplier of mobile chips to Amazon.com Inc. and major Chinese smartphone makers, plans to begin shopping abroad for semiconductor and software developers to gain an edge in an increasingly competitive market. The company wants to become the world’s biggest supplier of fingerprint sensors, Chief Executive Officer David Zhang said in an interview at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. That will help again double its revenue in 2017, matching its pace of growth in the first…

Tesla is now producing lithium-ion battery cells at its “Gigafactory,” the massive plant just outside Reno, Nevada, that the company claims will become the largest factory of its kind in the world. The cells will be used for Powerwall 2 and Powerpack 2 energy-storage battery packs, at first. The company held a grand opening for the Gigafactory last year, but until now the factory has only assembled battery packs, and not the cells that go into them. Those cells have been imported by Panasonic, which partnered with Tesla on the Gigafactory and has been the sole supplier of battery cells…

Cinch is the brainchild of Jake Jackson, an avid camper and entrepreneur from Lancaster in the United Kingdomwho set out on the mission to find the perfect tent for festival-going. His search was thwarted when he was unable to find one which did everything he wanted it to. Jake’s vision was ambitious, yet simple: a tent should make camping fun, easy and cheap – not suck away your time, money and sanity. He wanted power. He wanted to access his tent from both the back and the front. He didn’t want to trip over guide ropes or tent pegs. And…

While we don't have a magic crystal ball, a combination of what we've seen in 2016, plus one or two murmurs from the supply chains, gives enough clues to be able to make some fairly educated guesses about what's ahead. Samsung will be back with more than one flagship phone Apple is expected to launch at least two new iPhones in 2017 LG unveiled the G5 in 2016 at Mobile World Congress 2016 also saw the arrival of Google's new Pixel phone The smartphone tech of 2017 We may not see a huge leap forward in the evolution of the…

Wellington Drive Technologies is pleased to announce that following the conclusion of a global beverage brand’s comprehensive technology sourcing process it has been selected as an approved supplier of connectivity hardware for use in the brand’s coolers. This approval allows Wellington to supply its SCS Connect solution to the brand’s network of cooler manufacturers and beverage bottling partners and follows the earlier announcement of the brand’s terms and conditions having being signed. It should be noted that this approval does not indicate preferred status or determine a minimum level of business; the customer’s network is free to choose from a…

Pilz Australia launched its new website which incorporates a new E-Shop for its customers in Australasia. E-Shop will allow customers to not only browse the company’s vast portfolio of products, it enables them to access the latest technical information, view product images, and download the most up-to- date technical data sheets. The new E-Shop covers the full portfolio of products that is Pilz, with all the technologies and application areas along with a quick and easy way to view associated accessories or add on features for its products. Continue to full article

Technology that mimics nature is the focus of Associate Professor Iain Anderson from the University of Auckland, who was awarded the Pickering Medal from the Royal Society of New Zealand this week. The annual award was made to Associate Professor Anderson “for developing and commercialising electroactive polymer technology”. The Royal Society’s Pickering Medal is made annually “for excellence and innovation in the practical application of technology leading to significant recognition and influence both in New Zealand and overseas”. His award citation reads: “To Iain Alexander Anderson for the development and commercialisation of applications for electroactive polymer technology.” Associate Professor Anderson…

Science and Innovation Minister Steven Joyce has today announced that the Centre for Space Science Technology (CSST) has been selected to become New Zealand’s second Regional Research Institute. “The Centre for Space Science Technology, which will be based in Alexandra, Central Otago, will undertake research to explore the use of space-based measurements and satellite imagery unique to New Zealand to meet the specific needs of our regional industries,” Mr Joyce says. “It will establish an international satellite data exchange and collaborate with leading researchers and businesses, both here and abroad, to design, build and launch New Zealand’s first fleet of…